Fire departments, water utilities welcome help clearing fire hydrants after storms
As Nova Scotians in half the province continue to dig out and clean up from the weekend storm that dumped up to 90 cm or more of snow in some areas, firefighters are asking for the public’s help in making sure fire hydrants are clear in case of an emergency.
Ross White, the fire chief in New Glasgow, said home and business owners can help out by clearing the snow for one metre in all directions around a hydrant.
Some fire departments run an “adopt a hydrant” program in which people on a street sign up to keep a certain hydrant clear for the winter, White said, but anyone can do so anywhere to help out municipalities that are already going full-out trying to clear streets and sidewalks.
I’ll have my work cut out for me tomorrow……
Every winter I take ownership of the fire hydrant on my property…..and dig it out as much as I can.
I wish plow drivers would be more mindful when plowing…….because all too often the hydrants gets completely blocked…..and it’s… pic.twitter.com/G5ky8xeGtf
— ✨🔥🔮Amanda🔮🔥✨ (@PsychicMedium82) February 5, 2024
New Glasgow received upwards of 90 cm of snow, and White said that while the town’s public works department is getting to its hydrants, “it’s a long process when you have small crew.”
He said residents who dig them out “save response time in case a hydrant is needed for a structure fire. It saves us from having to dig out a hydrant and hook up to it.”
It’s better to do it throughout a storm than after it’s over in long-duration events like the weekend, White said.
“It’s to your benefit to have that hydrant free,” he said. “A couple of neighbours could get together and clean out that one hydrant that serves their block. It would be greatly appreciated… Time is of the essence when we’re hooking up a hydrant.”
As communities across the province fight through the snow, getting them cleared out earlier also means less risk of temperature changes causing the snow becoming ice and encasing a hydrant in ice.
“Once the plows start pushing the snow back trying to make the streets as wide as they can for vehicle safety and pedestrian safety, it packs the snow around a hydrant sometimes and buries them even worse with a heavier snow.”
He said the one-metre space cleared around a hydrant provides the room to get the hose to it, but also for the wrench that is placed on top to be turned to get water to the hose.
People should use shovels rather that plows to avoid the risk of breaking the hydrant off, White said.
Firefighters digging out a hydrant on Herring Cove Rd. in #Halifax #nsstorm @KMacTWN @HRMFireNews pic.twitter.com/A5aAlubFFA
— Nathan Coleman (@NateTWN) February 6, 2024
Halifax Water is responsible for clearing out around the 8,400 municipal hydrants in HRM.
Spokeswoman Carla Hughesdon said in an email that the utility starts checking for buried hydrants as soon as the storm is over,
“Clearing the snow from hydrants starts once a street has been plowed and the snow has been winged back, to prevent the hydrant from being reburied,” she said.
Crews clear them by hand, with assistance from equipment like skid steers and backhoes.
Private hydrants are the responsibility of the property owner.
Hughesdon said the utility welcomes and encourages customers to clear hydrants in their neighbourhood. There is a map of the locations on the Halifax Water website.
Clearing of catch basins and manholes is also welcomed, she said, but only if it’s safe to do so.
— Kentville Fire (@KentvilleFire) February 4, 2024
